When it was 2013, I read posts that filled me with cheer…

Well, the new year is here. It’s time to look forward. Unfortunately, I really excel in looking back. I’m often nostalgic for yesterday, not to mention yesteryear. So, in order to truly say farewell to 2013, I needed to get that out of my system. I needed to post December’s monthly roundup, and I needed to do it today.

someecards.com - I refuse to reminisce about the past year unless it's in a

via someecards.com

I hope you don’t mind that this roundup is so close on the heels of the last. (Although perhaps the real problem is that I’m usually at least a month behind with these!) Anyway… today, I have a selection of fourteen posts that made me smile during the last month of the year. Read on and be merry. (It’s cool to be merry in January, right? Let’s take merriment back from December. Merriment for all the months!) Continue reading

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Holiday happenings for filthy animals and the pets who love them

There’s a lot happening round these parts of late…

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Macawly Culkin and Doe Pesci. (You know, like doe. A deer. A female deer. And a bird.)
  2. Have you signed up for the Pet Blogger’s Gift Exchange yet? There’s still time to join me and my fantastic co-host Pamela from Something Wagging This Way Comes for the best holiday party on the Interwebz. What are you waiting for? Go sign up! No, really… go now. I’ll wait.
  3. You may recall that I’ve been doing a series of guest posts over at the Grouchy Puppy blog. Yesterday’s post (The perfect holiday gift for the dog who has everything) was about Frankie’s Fund, which my friend Edie (from Will My Dog Hate Me) started to honor a little dog who made a huge difference in her life. Click here to find out how you can contribute to Frankie’s Fund to provide hospice care to senior dogs in need.
  4. I don’t think I shared the post before that one with you either. In it, you’ll find ten unique ways to celebrate your senior dog (and some punny pet names). I’m nothing if not helpful, right?
  5. J.O.D.I. from Kol’s Notes often outdoes herself. This year’s Advent Calendar for Dog Lovers is no exception. Head over to Kol’s Notes to enter to win a new prize each day (as well as an awesome grand prize when it’s all said and done)!
  6. On a completely unrelated note, after months of neglect, I finally updated my baking blog with a new recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Butterfinger Blondies. (I’ve got some other holiday recipes over there too, although I caution you that most are not for sharing with your furry friends.)

Finally, I give you today’s video, which I adore:

In case you missed it, here’s what we were up to on the blog this week:

In conclusion…

via giphy.com

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The hills are alive with the sound of puns (and dinosaurs)

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for me to lob some linkage your way!

Oh, and before we get to today’s linkage, a little shameless self-promotion. I’m back again this week guest posting on the Grouchy Puppy blog. Check out this week’s post, which contains the best poem ever. I’m not even really exaggerating. (If you missed last week’s guest post, never fear… here you go.)

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Finnidict Cumberbatch, Mick Wagger, and Finnifer Lawrence. (Long live the Oxford comma! I don’t care what they say. Grammar nerd 4EVA… er, forever.)
  2. Speaking of puns, maybe I should apply for a job at Charmin.
  3. Forget November. It’s Dinovember from now on.someecards.com - If history repeats itself, I'm so getting a dinosaur.
  4. Although… I wouldn’t be opposed to some sort of Novemb-grrr (Dogvember? Novemfur?) twist instead. (After all, everything is better with a dog.)
  5. It is possible, however, that even a dog couldn’t salvage this Sound of Music remake. (Okay, I’m obviously not as nice as Maria herself. To make up for it, I’ll just leave this here.)
  6. This last link is unrelated to anything, but I don’t care. ZONKEY!

Now, for today’s video… although, I’d obviously prefer you adopt your pet dinosaur from a dino shelter instead of buying him at a pet store. You might want to do your homework first and look into some dino training classes too:

FInally, in case you missed it, here’s what we were up to on the blog this week:

That’s all for now… see you next week. (Same dino time, same dino channel…)

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Senior dogs rock: Maturity is totally underrated

It’s time for your weekly linkage. I’ve chosen today’s theme for one simple reason. Senior dogs rock.

  1. First up, your punny pet names: Lickey Rooney and Ben Catlock.
  2. This month, I’m doing a series of posts about senior pets on the Grouchy Puppy blog. Head on over and check out my first post to find out how an old dog can teach you some new tricks.
  3. These dogs with old man faces are awesome, as are the accompanying Sanka and Matlock references.
  4. I’m loving these photos of senior dogs across America from Nancy LeVine.
  5. This is slightly off topic, but I don’t care. History is old. This Animals From History ebook looks amazing. (There are puns!) I want to hang prints of the illustrations around my house. It would totally class up the joint.
  6. These vintage art dogs are also pretty great.

Finally, I give you today’s video. This mature dog is pretty charming, don’t you think?

In case you missed it, here’s what else we were up to on the blog this week:

Oh, and don’t forget to swing by Kol’s Notes to enter to win a cool custom pet portrait from AJ Emm!

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If our pets ever learn to read, we’re all in big trouble…

You know, if our pets could read what we say about them online, they might be both flattered and horrified. After all, we sometimes share their most embarrassing moments on the Internet for all to see.

I’m pretty sure that if Bella and Tavish could type, they’d start a blog about me in retaliation. I shudder to think of the photos they would post for Wordless Wednesday. (They’re cute when they sleep, but I’m a drooling mess.)

someecards.com - I wonder if my cat would think I'm too clingy if it ever saw how many of its pictures are on my Facebook page.

via someecards.com

Let’s just all be thankful that our pets can’t read, okay? Here are a few posts that made me smile in the month of July. Feel free to read them aloud to your illiterate pets:

  1. True Love from BZ Training – I’m pretty sure Bella’s true love is the air vent in our bedroom. I’m not sure about Tavish though.
  2. The Unbearable Cuteness of Being Free from Chronicles of Cardigan – An overload of amazing (and amusing) photos.
  3. 10 Funniest Reasons To Not Let Your Dog Go Along In Your Car This Summer from Something Wagging This Way Comes – I’ve often wished that my dog would count when I want to take the HOV lane.
  4. Get the ducks in a row from Rumblebum – The captions had me giggling like a fool. I’m okay with that.
  5. Accommodating Your Dog’s Feelings: I’m Just Going Out With The Garbage, Honey from Dawg Business – The things we do for our beloved pups…
  6. 10 Things My Anxious Dog Does That I Wish Were Socially Acceptable for Me to Do from A Brave Face – I’m especially keen on numbers 4 and 7.
  7. Favorite Friday Video – Best Friends, Border Collie Style from No Dog About It – I adore this video!
  8. Abandon All Hope, Ye Dog Toys Who Enter Here from Tales and Tails – Oh no, Mr. Bill… for the love of dog, oh no!
  9. My day as a dog from 24 Paws of Love – Not a bad idea at all.
  10. I Vow to My Foster Dog from Dog House Adoptions – Are you ready to say “I do”? (As to why this has resulted in me serenading the pups with Madonna, I do not know. “Cherish is the word I use to remind me of… your love.”)
  11. How do we benefit from loving an older dog? from Grouchy Puppy – As I’ve said before, senior dogs rock!

Did I miss any of your favorite posts from last month? It happens – although I’d like to do nothing but read all the blogs, that pesky job thing gets in the way. Also, as I mentioned above, it’s not like the pups can help by reading a few for me.  Anyway, feel free share your favorite July posts in the comments so that we can all enjoy them!

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20 posts you should read right now (instead of doing that whole job thing)

It’s time for another monthly roundup! May was full of fantastic posts. I’ve pulled together a list of twenty that I really enjoyed, but I easily could have kept going. Stop being so awesome, pet bloggers.

Anyway, here are some posts that will likely prove more fun than doing your job, unless your job happens to involve lying in the grass while being licked by puppies.

(If that is your job, please contact me. I would like to send you my resume. Said resume will just include a video of me getting licked by Tavish and a portfolio of dog photos. The video portion will kind of look like this:

Sort of a slo-mo Tavish: I Still Want More Puppies

via giphy.com

However, Tavish is nowhere near this calm about it, reinforcing the entry on my resume that says I have advanced skills in dog licking acceptance.)

Moving on… let’s get back to those blog posts I mentioned. Continue reading

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Smiling’s my favorite!

As I recently mentioned, I’m well behind on my monthly roundups. However, let’s just consider this belated October installment an early Christmas gift. (By that logic, I’m actually ahead of the game.)

Anyway, I believe that Buddy the Elf would totally support me sharing these posts guaranteed to make you smile. Enjoy. If you need me, I’ll be enjoying selections from the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup. Continue reading

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Seventeen reasons to smile

Today’s mischief is all mine, not the dog’s… I confess that I’m far behind in sharing my monthly post roundups. Today, I’m bringing you the best from September… these posts are guaranteed to put a smile on your face: Continue reading

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PuGyver: He can fix anything!

It’s time for some Friday linkage… but first, I have a special treat to share with you. I’m honored to have a guest post on Grouchy Puppy today. It’s called “5 Things You Shouldn’t Say to a Senior Dog Owner” – head over there and check it out!

Now, to the links:

  1. This week’s punny pet name: Digmund Freud (or Sighound Freud).
  2. You know I love Henri the cat – and now he’s back with a message for this political season. (Includes the phrase “castration without representation” – how could you resist?)
  3. I am unable to resist a good English major joke. And a good catch phrase.
  4. Did you catch the series on Freud and Fido over at Freud’s Butcher? Some very interesting stuff.
  5. Is your dog is a paradox too?
  6. These paintings of Darth Vader and other villains cuddling bunnies are awesome.
  7. A Nutella food truck? I want to go to there. Like right now.
  8. Cookie Monster and Grover parody some recent movies and TV shows. My inner child rejoices. Does yours?
  9. I just can’t stop… it’s TV theme songs galore! They’re all stuck in my head now, but it’s worth it.

Continuing on the TV theme song theme (yup, I said it), I’m sure you’ll understand why I couldn’t resist sharing today’s video:

Punny!

(Bonus TV theme song – last week, I shared the Game of Thrones theme sung by a cat. In the interest of equal time, here’s a canine version.)

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Keep calm & carry a blanket: Senior Pet Health Month

I have a special treat for you today… a guest post! In honor of Senior Pet Health Month, Sharon Castellanos from Grouchy Puppy is here to talk about the mental health of senior dogs.  Among her other awesome accomplishments, Sharon is Editor-at-Large for LIFE+DOG Magazine and an active Board Member of Pets Are Wonderful Support (PAWS).  Sharon has contributed to this blog before (and I’ve even popped up on Grouchy Puppy), and I’m thrilled to have her back today. 

One of the things I have noticed with my old dog Cleo is that she is all about the routine and the familiar. She turns to go down the street every morning, never up. Wherever she is, when it is close to dinner time, she moves to lay by the couch in a holding pattern. She knows it is a quick step to her food bowl from there. She is out of the traffic pattern of us cooking, but she has memorized the smells and sounds that say her meal is ready.

Besides her love for food, Cleo also loves her blankets. We bought four fake sherpa-fleece blankets from Costco about five years ago. One for the car, one for each bed, and a spare. They have been work horses and have held up better than the bed we bought on that same Costco trip. Maybe it’s because she is a big girl, but her beds seem to take a beating. Now I know what my sister means when she says that she is “hard on shoes.” No wonder she buys a new pair every other month. We haven’t had to buy Cleo new blankets, and one reason I’m glad, beside the cost savings, is their familiarity to Cleo.

Comfort in the familiar. When I think about Senior Pet Health Month, something that stands out for me now is Cleo’s mental health. She visibly relaxes when she is lying on one of her blankets. To me, with her deteriorating vision, the familiar texture and scent of her blankets seem to soothe her. Sometimes I will find her sleeping in the front room, with only her head buried in her blanket. We learned when she has sleepovers with a friend, to leave a blanket for her to sleep on, or rest on like Switzerland. The familiar blanket is probably more important to her than remembering treats. In places that are “not home”, her blanket is her special neutral zone, and safe place that smells like us and home.

When we go out for her walk in the morning, we equally contribute to the route and pace. I guide her away from curbs and places she might fall into, as well as slow her down before she rams her head into a tree trunk. She tells me if she wants to walk all the way around the block, or instead that she is ready to return home after a quick pee. If she wants to walk half way, then stand and sniff the air for 10 minutes, we do that. My goal is to give her opportunities for enjoyment.

Experiencing Cleo’s aging process helps me understand my parents better. I think of my long distance calls with my 80-year old mother. Half of our conversations involve detailed accounts of her daily routine. She enjoys the familiar and often tells me how much she does not like surprises. I think the calm from her routine helps her mental health, so I encourage her to tell me all about her day. Like with Cleo, I don’t rush her pace or hurry her off the call.

When I see first hand how Cleo sighs, stretches, and dozes off in contentment, because her surroundings are familiar thus relaxing, I’m happy. Cleo can go “off duty” and not worry about protecting us or being watchful. If I can help her mental health by making familiar noises so she knows dinner is ready, I will. If I have to sew the edges of her blankets to keep them from unraveling, thus allowing her to keep them another year, I will. If she wants to walk ten steps, or ten blocks, I will guide her. Caring for an old dog has given me a chance to learn about senior nutrition for the first time, but it has also shown me the importance of watching over Cleo’s mental health.

Loving Cleo the way we do, it is a gift to have this chance to be on guard for her.

Thanks again to Sharon for joining us today! Pop on over to Grouchy Puppy to read more of her work. Now, let’s get this party (by which I mean discussion) started… does your senior dog take comfort in the familiar?

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